


Just for laughs

by BarbAndCo



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Sokka (Avatar)-centric, Why Did I Write This?, no plot just fluff and fun stuff, the author tried to be funny and here we are
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 08:27:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27348112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarbAndCo/pseuds/BarbAndCo
Summary: Sokka was an aspiring comedian who’s just trying to make a comeback after an embarrassing night. And Zuko was just the guy in the comedy club who was having way too much fun.A misunderstanding and a random twist of fate brings two people together in the best sort of way--- with a healthy dose of shenanigans and miscommunication.Or The Modern AU where Sokka is a comedian and Zuko is his number one fan.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 45
Kudos: 405





	Just for laughs

**Author's Note:**

> concept based on this tumblr [ post ](https://firelord-boomerang.tumblr.com/post/631007610171228160/sokka-a-comedian-in-a-comedy-club-am-i-a-joke-to)

The last time Sokka was on stage, he bombed. Hard. There was no sugar coating it really. He was on stage and ready to do his set but then he looked at the audience, the unforgiving void, and he choked. The spotlight suddenly shined too bright in his eyes, his palms were sweaty, and his throat went dry. He stuttered out some jokes and got some pity laughs, but he got too nauseous to go on and had to run off the stage.

Suffice to say, it wasn’t his best moment.

From then on, he vowed to make it up to himself. He worked on his set for a whole year and practiced with friends. He joined a couple of small open mics here and there to workshop the whole thing a bit more until he was finally satisfied.

He already convinced the comedy club to let him do just five minutes, promising to make up for his past performance. He didn’t invite his friends because he wanted to really know if his set stands up on its own without the gang helping hype the crowd up. When the stage was finally set, his palms devoid of any excess liquid, the spotlight hit him just right, and the crowd seemed to be on his side.

Everything was going great—until some wise guy with an obnoxious laugh came along. 

Sokka was wrapping up an anecdote about how he accidentally burned off his professor’s eyebrows during an ill-advised experiment, and the punchline of this one usually got a good chuckle out of the audience but nothing too wild because the real payoff would be later in his set. He planned this meticulously and he knew exactly how to play the crowd. Or he thought he did.

He delivered the punchline and the crowd laughed and it died down quickly (as he expected) so he could go on with his set. But then, this guy in the crowd just kept laughing.

 _Okay so maybe the guy’s a little tipsy_ , Sokka thought. He could let that pass. It was Friday night and people tend to get rowdy. Sokka was a professional so he continues telling some more jokes and improvising here and there to really get the crowd going.

In the middle of, admittedly, one of his best jokes in the routine the guy in the crowd keeps laughing, much louder, and much longer than the rest of the audience. It was a very distinct laugh that rises above the crowds—a mix between a wheeze and cackle. Sokka wasn’t an insecure person but the way that laugh sounds was kind of insulting at this point. Who genuinely laughed like that?

Sokka zeroed in on the sound and sees it’s a guy probably close to his age, dark hair, scar, striking features, wearing a suit of all things, and literally heaving with laughter. He tried to see what the guy’s deal was and deviated from his set a bit by telling a joke he knows won’t land well.

“But that’s just what happens when you pick a fight with seals,” he said with a flourish of his hands. “You get the flipper.”

As expected, there were a couple of chuckles but the guy with the obnoxious laugh went crazy. He laughed way too loudly and way too long at a joke that never goes over great with any crowd he has tested it on.

Sokka decided then and there that he was being mocked. He doesn’t let it show but he was fuming on the inside. He continued with his set and the laughter from the pretty guy in the crowd kept cackling. It was nearing the end of his set, and the lights guy was giving him the signal that his time was almost up.

The man’s laughter was getting worse and grating on Sokka’s nerves. He couldn’t take it anymore, so he looked directly at the man in the audience.

“Am I a joke to you?” Sokka asked him in all seriousness and there was a smattering of laughs in the crowd. _Oh good, they noticed it, too_.

The man in question had the audacity to smile at him and very loudly proclaim, “Yes!”

The audience burst into laughter and roaring applause.

The spotlight cuts out and he runs off stage absolutely furious.

* * *

“Wait, so what did this guy do again?” Katara asked. Sokka dragged his sister for a shopping day because even though his comeback to the stand up stage was a success, he couldn’t quite get the sour taste of that random guy heckling him.

“He was laughing,” Sokka grumbled.

Katara looked at her brother like he was going crazy. “At your comedy routine.”

“He was being sarcastic!” he explained again, yanking the back from the display with more force than he intended.

“Was he yelling things at you?” Katara sipped at her boba.

“No, he was just _laughing_ ,” he said the last line with such disdain like it was the worst offence.

“Wait.” She put her hand on Sokka’s shoulder to stop his rummaging through the sales displays. “You’re telling me that you’re mad because someone was laughing at your jokes?”

“It was sarcastic laughter!” he exclaimed.

Katara rolled her eyes. “Let me get this straight. You’re mad at a guy who laughed at your jokes during your comedy routine at a comedy club.”

“Well, when you put it that way it sounds like _I’m_ the jerk,” Sokka huffed as he put two more items in their cart.

“Weird how that happens,” she said following Sokka around the store. “What’s the problem exactly?”

“The problem is that he was being a jerk about it and that’s that.” Sokka grabbed another item.

“Oh no, laughter at a comedy show,” Katara continues. “The horror.”

“I thought you were here to support me, not mock me,” Sokka said.

“I’m your sister,” she smiled, sweetly. “I’m here for both.”

After going through a couple of more stores, Sokka started to feel better. So, what if that guy was heckling him? He had solid laughs the whole night. People loved his set. It’s just one guy. Who cares about that guy’s opinion?

Unfortunately, Sokka did. He cared too much. He just wanted to know what was wrong with that guy. Why did he choose that night to be a jerk? People could be so infuriating sometimes.

And wait isn’t that the guy from the comedy club? He stopped short and Katara crashed into him.

“Sokka!” She pushed her brother, who suddenly stood still at a statue, mouth gaping. “I could’ve dropped my tea.”

“Shh!” Sokka turned around and pointed at the guy standing at the other end of the store. “He could hear you.”

“Who’s he?” Katara peered curiously over Sokka’s shoulder.

Sokka blocked her view and told her, “That’s the jerk guy from the comedy club.”

The jerk in question was minding his own business surveying the array of tea cozies and kettles in front of him with care and caution.

“He seems harmless,” she said.

“He’s sinister.” he narrowed his eyes at the man.

“He’s looking at dainty little teapots,” she pointed out. “How much of an asshole could he be?”

Sokka pulled Katara behind a shelf so they could spy on the jerk better. They looked through the gaps of the display case watching the guy inspect the kettles and cups.

“He’s a jerk who wanted to ruin my night,” he said as he continued to drag through the store following the man as he shopped.

“And we’re following him because?” Katara pushed Sokka away when he tried to drag her down to hide behind some weird statues.

Sokka opened his mouth, “Uhh…” He did not have an answer for that.

“Investigative purposes.” Is what Sokka settled on.

Katara gave him an unimpressed stare.

He turned around to look at the guy again, but that immediately proved to be a mistake because that was the exact moment the man looked up and directly at him.

“I think he saw you,” Katara said, stating the obvious. 

The man smiled, his face lighting up with recognition, then he waved, and _started walking towards them_.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

“Oh, yeah. He definitely saw you.” She sipped loudly at her drink cherishing Sokka’s moment of panic.

“Why is he coming towards us?” Sokka asked under his breath. He couldn’t move even if he wanted to, rooted to the spot by his embarrassment.

“Maybe he wants to say hi.” Katara shrugged completely at ease as her brother had a small meltdown.

“Hey, you’re that comedian guy,” The man said coming up to them with an obnoxiously bright smile.

Sokka noticed how pretty this guy was up close with his brilliant gold eyes, artfully messy black hair, and gorgeous bone structure. He wanted to punch the guy’s handsome face in. Why were the good-looking ones always jerks?

“That’s me,” Sokka says through gritted teeth faking a smile. He needed to be professional. Although it was really annoying that the man was the type of heckler who went up to people he heckled like it was all cool.

Sokka tried to quickly, mentally prepare himself for the backhanded compliments or perhaps the “advice” this random person has to dole about his comedy. He hoped it wasn’t the latter because he doesn’t think he could handle that kind of encounter.

“I loved your set,” the man said. “You’re really funny.”

“Wait.” Sokka’s brain stopped for a moment. “What?”

“Yeah, you the best of the night,” the man continued. “My friends thought you were hilarious too.”

“You liked it?” Sokka blinked. What was happening right now?

“Well, yeah of course.” The man smiled wider. “I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much before.”

“I could tell,” Sokka said. Katara elbowed him on the side and he added, “And, uh, thank you.”

A silence descended upon them. The guy bit his lip and looked away probably suddenly realizing how awkward the whole situation is.

“Um, sorry for coming up to you like this.” The guy scratched the back of his head. “I just saw you and got a little excited.”

Sokka stared at the guy. He saw the sheepish smile, the nervous fidgeting, how he wouldn’t meet his eyes but still valiantly trying to. It seemed familiar, like Sokka has done something similar before. 

Wait a minute.

Did… 

Did he have a fan?

“Um.. Ah--anyway, I just wanted to--uh-- say hi and I’m going to let you go back to your shopping. Sorry for bothering you,” the guy stuttered out. He made to leave but Sokka impulsively reached out and grabbed his arm.

The guy stopped and looked pointedly at Sokka’s hand; eyebrow raised.

“Hey, uhh…” Sokka started to panic. _What was he even doing?_ “Before you go.” _Don’t do this._ “Would you like uhh--” _Abort! Abort! Abort!_ “Since you liked my set and all, I’d love it if… um… If you’d go to my next show.”

The guy smiled, ecstatic. “Yeah, that’d be great. When and where?”

 _Good question,_ Sokka thought. He looked down, and upon realizing that he was still holding on to the other man, quickly let go, his hand falling awkwardly at his side.

“I actually don’t have any booked yet,” Sokka confessed.

“Oh.”

“But!” Sokka knew this was a bad idea (the worst even) but he couldn’t stop his mouth from moving. “Maybe you could give me your number and I’ll text you… for the show dates I mean.”

He didn’t mean to trail off or have that awkward silence hang in the air between them. Was it too much to hope for the earth to open up and swallow him whole right now? Why was he doing this? Who let him do this?

Katara has already walked off and left Sokka alone in his humiliation so he couldn’t even turn to his sister for support. The cute annoying guy just kept staring at him for what felt like years. 

“Sure,” the guy said, eventually with a sweet smile.

Fuck.

* * *

_To: Jerk from the Club_

_Hey this is Sokka. this is my number for reference._

Sokka stared at his phone for a full minute wondering if the text was okay. His plan was to wait for the jerk to reply and then whatever happened happened.

But then the jerk did not reply. Sokka waited for a full five minutes and there was no reply or little dots or just even a seen marker. Nothing.

These are the moments that were better left alone. Unfortunately, Sokka had a very hard time recognizing such moments and decided to keep texting.

_To: Jerk from the Club_

_Sokka from the comedy club. You know the comedian?_

Sokka tried to stop but his thumbs had a mind of their own. Just flitting across the screen with no care in the world. Stop moving thumbs.

_To: Jerk from the Club_

_Just wanted to clarify in case you knew a lot of sokkas_

He wanted to very much hit himself over the head.

_To: Jerk from the Club_

_Haha_

Stop. Please, stop.

_To: Jerk from the Club_

_actually idk how many sokkas you know might be a lot_

_anyway heres my number_

Why couldn’t he stop texting? What was wrong with him? Did his parents drop him as a child? He should probably ask his dad later.

_To: Jerk from the Club_

_Ill text you show dates soon._

Sokka needed to leave it at that and never open his message app again. He needed to be banned from his device.

_To: Jerk from the Club_

_K bye._

Sokka dropped face down on his pillow and groaned for all eternity. There is one universal truth in the world: Sokka knew how to turn a bad thing into an extremely horrible one with extreme ease and efficiency.

* * *

Sokka has not heard back from Mr. Mystery Jerk Face and was starting to wonder if this was all part of the man’s sick, twisted plan to embarrass him yet again. Make Sokka all flustered and confused and get his hopes up then just ignore him.

He was distracted all throughout dinner and Suki was not having it. It was a nice night, and they were supposed to be having a good time while Sokka apologized for not inviting her to his first gig back from his self-imposed hiatus.

“Hey, this is supposed to be a catch-up dinner, not a you ignoring me the whole night meal.” Suki threw a piece of fruit at him. 

“Sorry,” Sokka said as the fruit bounced harmlessly off his forehead. “I was just thinking.”

“Is this about your little fan encounter.” Suki smiled; mischief clear in her eyes. 

_Of course, Katara told her_ , he thought. “You know about that, huh.”

“Katara may have mentioned it once or twice.”

“In my defense, I honestly thought he was being disingenuous.” Sokka crossed his arms and pouted.

“With his laughter,” Suki replied.

“Yes.”

“And now you’re thinking about it again, why?”

“Because he gave me his number and he still hasn’t texted me back,” he grumbled.

Suki’s eyes widen. “You did what?”

“Okay, so it’s not what you’re thinking.” He put his hands up and tried to get a handle on the situation before Suki jumped to the wrong, very incorrect, conclusion.

“Oh, do tell me what I’m thinking.” Suki looked like a cat playing with her prey and Sokka is unfortunately very familiar with this particular scenario.

“You’re thinking that I’m so nice I care about the well-being of my fans,” he said.

“Fan. Singular,” Suki pointed out. “And I’m thinking you’re mad because the boy you like hasn’t texted you yet. It’s honestly adorable.”

“He’s evil.”

“When did you even have the chance to get his number?” Suki pursed her lips. “Did he go to you after the show?”

“No, we saw each other at the mall while I was in retail therapy mode,” he said.

“And?”

“And we bumped into each other and he was all shy about it and said he really liked my set and the next thing I know he was giving me his number!”

“That’s not what happened,” Suki said.

“No, but can we pretend?” Sokka gave her the puppy dog eyes. “Just for tonight?”

“No.”

“Fine. He turned out to be a nice guy and I told him to come to my next show.”

“You have a next gig lined up already?” Suki seemed excited at that.

Sokka sighed. “No.”

“Okay so then what happened?”

“Then, he made to leave, and I asked for his number so I could text him about my next show,” he said then promptly slumped down the table and buried his head in his arms. 

Suki was trying very hard not to laugh at her friend’s face, but it was hard when her friend did things like that. She patted his head from across the table.

Sokka rested his chin on his arm to look at Suki.

“He’s cemented his status as jerk face and he only pretended to be my fan to mess with me further,” he said with as much conviction as he could, but it lost steam by the end. Even he couldn’t buy the absurdity, but it was the only plausible explanation.

“What did you text him?” she asked.

He shrugged, all nonchalant and casual. “Just the normal stuff.”

“Were you rude?” Suki eyed him. “If you were rude, the man probably got turned off and thought you had a big ego and didn’t want to bother.”

“I didn’t text him anything rude!”

“What did you say?”

“I just said something like _‘Hi, it’s Sokka. Here’s my number.’_ you know like a normal person.” How he wished he stopped there.

Suki didn’t buy it for one second. She held out her hand expectantly. 

“I’m not giving you my phone.”

Suki raised her eyebrow and Sokka caved. He handed her his phone and unlocked it.

She looked at the app and read the one-sided exchange, her face showing an increasingly shocked expression.

“ _Oh, Sokka_ ,” she said.

Sokka hid behind his hands. “I know.”

“You only sent this to him a couple of hours ago.” She handed him back his phone. “Maybe he’s busy.”

“Yeah, busy laughing at me.”

“That seems true to form from what I’ve heard.” Suki smiled sweetly.

“Okay, that’s fair.”

Suki finally took pity on him and changed the topic to Sokka’s first show. She didn’t even harp on him too much about not inviting her but only after he promised that she could be there on his next show. 

Sokka listened as Suki talked about what’s going on with the Kyoshi Warriors and the rest of the night fell into an easy back-and-forth between good friends.

* * *

_From: Jerk from the Club_

_Hello! I’m Zuko by the way. Just in case I forgot to introduce myself. :)_

_Excited to hear about your new show!_

_Tell me when and I’ll be there_

  
  


_Apparently, his name is Zuko_ , Sokka texted Suki.

* * *

Much to Sokka’s horror, this Zuko guy seemed like a good person. Sokka has been texting him since he replied trying to figure out what his deal was and to his immense shock there was nothing obviously wrong with the guy. From their texts and phone calls, Sokka knows three things about Zuko:

  1. He is a band manager.
  2. He has an uncle that he loves very much.
  3. He cannot tell a joke to save his life.



Zuko just truly genuinely liked his comedy and by the amount of _hahahaha_ ’s and laughing emojis he would reply to his stupid jokes. Sometimes, when Sokka was feeling extra wily, he’d send Zuko a really bad joke just to get on the other man’s nerves. The barrage of angry emojis and booing would be so worth it.

Sokka realized quickly that Zuko was a pretty great guy all things considered. And he found that he really liked his dry, sarcastic sense of humor. What surprised him the most was how much they had in common. They bonded over similar tastes in music and movies, too so it was easy to drop references back and forth.

To Sokka, it felt like the most natural thing to call Zuko up and test out his jokes. Or sometimes it was to just talk.

* * *

_To: Zuko_

_What did the penguin say to the other penguin as he was walking away?_

_From: Zuko_

_What?_

_To: Zuko_

_I’ll sea-l you later._

_To: Zuko_

🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️

_And you call yourself a comedian_

* * *

“What’s so funny?” Aang asked, trying to peer at Sokka’s phone screen. They were in Aang’s house waiting for Katara, Suki, and Toph for game night.

Sokka locked his phone quickly and hid it in his pocket. “Nothing.”

“What are you hiding?” Aang disregarded all semblance of respecting his personal space and tried valiantly to pry Sokka’s phone out of his pocket.

Sokka shook him off with great effort but Aang was a crafty one and could not be deterred. After a couple of intense seconds just grappling with each other, Aang finally emerged with Sokka’s phone in hand and quickly opening it to see what all the fuss was about.

“Zuko? I know a Zuko, too.” Aang thumbed through the most recent messages until he realized that this was an invasion of privacy and maybe he shouldn’t be going through their messages.

“He texts like the Zuko I know,” Aang continued. 

“It’s probably not the same Zuko.” Sokka felt a flare of protectiveness over Zuko all of a sudden. 

“Does your Zuko have a scar on his face?” Aang asked.

“He’s not _my_ \--” Sokka blinked. “Yes. How do you know that?”

Aang beamed. “We know the same Zuko!”

“Plenty of people have scars on their faces,” was Sokka’s smart rebuttal.

Aang pulled out his phone and scrolled through his gallery. He showed Sokka his phone and tapped at the face on the screen. The picture was of a surly looking Zuko looking bored at the camera. “This your Zuko?”

“Yes, but please stop calling him _my_ Zuko.”

“Well, yeah since it looks like he’s _our_ Zuko now.”

Sokka did not know how to feel about sharing. And then, realized how stupid it was to think about sharing a person since Zuko was a person who could have more than one friend.

“Did he say anything about me?” he blurted out. Sokka needed to get a grip

Aang thought about it for a moment then snapped his fingers. “Oh, so _you’re_ the comedian he’s been talking about!”

“He talks about me?” Sokka hated the fact that he sounded so hopeful.

“He just mentioned that he met the comedian he really liked at the mall.” Aang shrugged. “That’s about it.”

“Oh.” Sokka didn’t mean to deflate like a sad balloon but he did and of course Aang noticed because he was perceptive and also Sokka wasn’t very subtle about anything.

“But don’t worry! Zuko isn’t really talkative about anything.” Aang patted his shoulder. “Most of the time he yells.”

“Okay.”

“Wait.” Aang just realized something. “Zuko has been talking about going to comedy clubs more often. Have you been inviting him to your shows but not us?”

“Uh…” The doorbell rang and Sokka sprung up from his seat thankful for the distraction and change of topic. “I’ll get the door!”

* * *

_To: Zuko_

_I’ve got a new gig on Friday. At the Laugh Palace 9PM._

_Will you be there? :DDD_

_From: Zuko_

_Of course! I’ll see you :))_

* * *

Sokka wanted to invite his friends to his shows. He really did, but the last time they watched him was when he choked on stage. He really wasn’t ready for his friends to see him up on stage again if his set wasn’t already perfect. And Sokka was staunch perfectionist through and through.

That was the excuse he was using when they asked him about when his next gigs were anyway. There was some truth in it. He remembered how they all consoled him the last time it happened, and he didn’t want a repeat of that pity party.

He expected the slight hurt feelings but begrudging understanding from his friends. He also understood now better than ever how much it took to actually perform on stage and have a compelling stand up persona. His comeback wasn’t supposed to be easy and he knew that.

What he didn’t count on was Zuko. They still weren’t anything, but casual acquaintances and they mostly talked about Sokka’s material, but it was nice to finally have someone to talk to about this, someone who was actually interested in the boring parts of comedy.

* * *

_From Zuko:_

_Nervous for tonight?_

_To Zuko:_

_Nah. I heard my #1 fan is going to be there.  
_

_From Zuko:_

_You're only fan._

_To Zuko:_

_You wound me </3_

* * *

Sokka went to a couple of small open mics between gigs to test out some new material and really nail his delivery. So, this wasn’t his second show post-comeback. It was, however, his second show with Zuko. He didn’t know why he was so nervous about it. Maybe it had something to do with having someone coming to the show to see _him_. Not a friend doing it for support but a person who found him so funny he was willing to drive all the way to the club just to see him perform.

It added pressure that’s for sure. Sokka found himself pacing backstage and had to stop himself. The worst thing that could happen was Zuko realizing he doesn’t find Sokka funny at all and he loses a fan.

Not so bad.

Oh, who was he kidding? That was very bad. He couldn’t lose the one and only fan he has got. Although, he was still on the fence on whether or not Zuko wasn’t just messing with him Maybe he was playing the long con after all.

* * *

_From Zuko:_

_Hey, I’m here second row_

_Break a leg!_

_To Zuko:_

_Is that a threat?_

_From Zuko:_

_😂🤣🤣_

Okay, so then again maybe not.

* * *

Sokka was smiling at his phone when he got called up to the stage. He went on stage to the warm embrace of the spotlight and polite applause from the crowd. He started off with the usual how’s it going testing the crowd’s responsiveness. From the stage, he immediately saw Zuko sitting front and center. Having Zuko there felt nice, but he doesn’t have time to dwell on that feeling because he had a show to do.

After the obligatory niceties, he went straight into his routine, “Have you guys ever heard of cactus juice? Because I have and let me tell you it _fucked me up_.”

Things were going well, the crowd was lively and eating up his jokes like candy, then he realized something. He couldn’t hear Zuko’s obnoxious laughter. He could see him sitting there laughing like an ordinary person, the volume and length considerably normal. Where was the cackle hybrid wheeze? Where was the guffaw?

 _He’s not laughing like the first time_ , Sokka thought but he continued on because he was a pro and maybe Zuko just wasn’t feeling the first jokes which was fine, his fans could have favorites. Just to be safe he decided to stick to his game plan, now is not the time for trying new things.

“So, to remind everyone: I was stuck in a hole in the ground yelling at the sky making promises I was a hundred percent sure I will not keep—” Sokka paused to soak in the laughter but still not hearing the very distinct one he’s been waiting for. He pushed on anyway “—and that’s when things started to get really weird…”

Sokka’s set is almost up and he hasn’t heard Zuko’s laugh. It was disheartening. He looked at Zuko’s table and the man seemed to be enjoying himself, eye’s alight with laughter and a smile up to his ears. But he wasn’t laughing like he used to. The crowd was eating his set up and yet he felt like he was bombing because he couldn’t make Zuko laugh like before. 

_What was happening?_ he thought in a panic.

His set ended and he walked off stage feeling weird.

* * *

_From: Zuko_

_That was amazing! I loved your new set :D_

_Then, why didn’t you laugh like you used to_ , Sokka thought. Instead he replied something that didn’t make him sound so desperate for approval and kind of a creep. He was already scanning the street for a tall, dark haired, bane of his existence. 

_To Zuko:_

_Glad you liked it. Are you outside?_

_From Zuko_

_Yes, look up._

* * *

Sokka looked up to see Zuko in a black coat, over a red knit-turtleneck looking posher and more polished than he did the last time he saw him. Zuko smiled at him and Sokka got the distinct impression that his heart wanted to flutter.

“Hi,” Zuko said walking towards him.

“Hey,” Sokka replied. “Do you want to go somewhere to eat?”

Zuko looked startled for a second and in that dreadful second Sokka thought he just messed up. Then, Zuko smiled and said, “Sure.”

If Sokka knew what was in store for him when he suggested going out to eat, he probably would have backed out because now he knew a fourth thing about Zuko.

4\. He rode a motorcycle.

Now, Sokka wasn’t one of those shallow people who only liked others because they look a certain way or do certain things. But he would be lying if he didn’t admit that Zuko riding a motorcycle was pretty hot. And now, he found himself saddled up right behind Zuko clutching him for dear life as they zipped through the city. Sokka tried not to cling to Zuko’s trim waist or notice how broad his shoulders were, he tried really hard.

They ended up in a tiny noodle shop that was still open this late in the evening. It was one of Sokka’s favorites, the way they cooked their noodles and piled it on high with meat made his mouth water just by the thought of it.

“Would it be weird and egotistical if I asked you about my set?” Sokka asked once they were seated and got their food.

“It’d be weirder if you didn’t,” Zuko smiled.

“What’d you like about it?” Sokka folded his arms on the small table and leaned in.

Zuko thought for a moment choosing his words carefully. “I like the way you blend each story together. You had fifteen minutes this time and I think you used the time well. I know a lot of people find it hard to segue to each anecdote which makes it hard to make a coherent set sometimes.”

“Okay,” Sokka nodded. “What didn’t you like about it?”

“You could stand to loosen up on stage,” Zuko said. And the fact that Zuko actually had critique shocked Sokka.

 _So, he wasn’t just a mindless fan,_ he thought. It made Zuko even more likable in Sokka’s eyes which was quite a feat because he already really liked him.

“You stick to the script too much,” Zuko continued. “If you really want to work the crowd, you have to know when to interact with them. Make them feel like they’re part of the whole thing.”

“I can’t believe you notice that kind of thing,” Sokka said more in awe more than anything.

That was the wrong thing to say apparently because Zuko was in a huff already, “Well, you asked.”

“No, I meant that as a good thing,” Sokka explained. “I like hearing your opinion about these things.”

Zuko had this small smile on his face that made Sokka want to reach over and—wait what? Nope. Go back to talking about comedy.

“Do you go to comedy clubs a lot?” Sokka asked changing the subject quickly before things got out of hand.

“Not really,” Zuko answered. “It’s not my usual scene. I’ve only started going to shows because I wanted to branch out and see what else I could do.”

“You want to go into comedy?” Sokka teased.

“Manage people in comedy,” Zuko clarified.

“Bands getting too boring for your taste, huh?”

“Yeah, being around cool artist types is getting on my nerves.”

Sokka was grinning like an idiot but that was fine since Zuko didn’t seem to mind at all.

“You keep saying you manage these cool bands and yet I’ve never heard any of them,” Sokka said taking a sip of his drink.

Zuko smirked acknowledging the challenge. “You sure you haven’t heard of the Freedom Fighters?”

Sokka promptly spat out his drink all over Zuko. “You work with the Freedom Fighters?!”

“Do you want proof?” Zuko waved his phone out just out of reach from Sokka’s grubby hands.

“Yes, you filthy liar!” Sokka reached over the table but Zuko kept his phone away.

“Sit down and let me unlock my phone,” Zuko was laughing when he said. He scrolled through his latest Instagram post and showed it to Sokka. Lo and behold, there Zuko hanging out with the Freedom Fighters in what looks like a living room. In the picture, Zuko was sitting on the couch next to Jet, the lead singer, who had his arm around Zuko’s shoulders while the rest of the band was scattered around the space.

Sokka bit his lip but couldn’t help but comment, “Looking pretty cozy there with Jet.”

“It’s not like that,” Zuko murmured. “We’re just friends. I’m not really seeing anyone right now.”

Sokka was staring at Zuko at this point. Not even covertly just outright staring. Zuko had a pretty blush high on his cheeks and wasn’t meeting his eyes as he poked at his plate. He found it all so incredibly endearing. Someone help him.

Then something clicked. _Zuko was single,_ he thought and then chastised himself for even thinking that. He didn’t need to know Zuko’s relationship status. They were just two… were they friends at this point? They’re more than just a comedian and his random fan, probably. Sokka needed to get himself out of this train of thought.

“So, you manage one of the biggest up and coming bands of the century and you’re out slumming it with me,” Sokka said, grinning “I’m flattered.”

“Don’t take it too personally,” Zuko replied with his own smile. “Wouldn’t want you getting a big head.”

Sokka wanted nothing more than to wipe the smug smile off Zuko’s face but those thoughts live in dangerous territory, so he decided to steer the conversation away to safer grounds.

“You know the first time you came to my show I thought you were heckling me,” Sokka said. He didn’t realize that safer ground would be digging his own grave. Him and his mouth really need to start coordinating better.

“What?” Zuko’s eyes widened like he was scandalized at the very thought of heckling someone. “Why?”

“It’s just—” Sokka bit his lip. “Never mind.”

“Hey.” Zuko kicked his foot under the table lightly. “What is it? Tell me.”

“It’s your laugh,” he blurted out. Zuko’s face crumpled and Sokka wanted to rip his hair out because this is exactly the situation he was avoiding, and he felt horrible for making Zuko feel bad.

“Oh.” Zuko turned red up to the tips of his ears and got quiet. He was looking away again and what Sokka wouldn’t give to have those eyes on him again. “Um, sorry about that.”

“Hey, no no.” Sokka needed to fix this more than he needed anything at the moment. “Don’t be sorry.”

“I know my laugh is horrendous. My father and sister said as much,” Zuko said quietly. “I’ve been working on it since I was a child. It slips out sometimes.”

Sokka was racking his brain for something to say to make the melancholy in Zuko’s face go away.

Zuko looked up at his through his lashes and gave a sad chuckle. “Etiquette school can only do so much, you know. Sorry it made you feel like I was mocking you.”

“It’s a nice laugh,” Sokka said abruptly.

Zuko snorted and rolled his eyes, this time he was finally looking at Sokka. A bit of the sadness has faded away from Zuko’s eyes but a shadow of it still lingered.

“I’m sorry for bringing it up.” Sokka hoped he didn’t just screw everything up. “I didn’t—"

“It’s fine.” Zuko waved his hand. “You didn’t know.”

“I do like your laugh.” And when Sokka said it he found that he was telling the truth. He so desperately wanted to hear it again knowing that it was Zuko’s real one. Not hearing it tonight just made him feel like something was missing.

Zuko kicked him in the shins for all his sincerity.

“First of all, ow.” Sokka flicked water on Zuko. “Did you really like my set?”

“Of course, I did,” Zuko was quick to reassure but was slightly suspicious by the sudden change in topic. “I told you I loved it.”

Sokka has decided that the best way to remedy the situation was unbridled honesty and expose some vulnerability. “All night I felt like I was bombing because I couldn’t hear your laugh like the first night. I thought I was doing something wrong,” he said the last part to the table more than the person across from him.

It was after a moment of silence that Sokka finally looked up and what he saw took his breath away. Zuko had some of the shine back in his pretty golden eyes and was smiling at him.

“You’re ridiculous,” Zuko said.

“I know.”

The night went on fabulously and the small bump almost entirely forgotten but it was there at the back of Sokka’s mind. Zuko drove him home and dropped him off his front door. As he watched him drive away, Sokka decided on a new goal. He was going to make Zuko laugh, really laugh not matter what.

* * *

_To: Zuko_

_Hey_

It was the middle of the night and Sokka couldn’t sleep because all he could think about was Zuko.

_To: Zuko_

_Tonight was fun_

An understatement but Sokka was playing it cool. He was cool as a cucumber. He wasn’t at all freaking out. He was prepared to launch himself out of the window or cry about his inability to actually be to Katara when Zuko replied.

_From: Zuko_

_Yeah, I had fun too_

_We should do it again sometime_

_To Zuko:_

_Want to do an activity together?_

That was it. Sokka was going to create a program that can stop messages from sending if they were as stupid as what he just sent out. He was going to launch that app and make millions; he’ll give up comedy and stop texting people. He was going to live life as a hermit with his app money.

_From Zuko:_

_Are you free on Friday?_

* * *

Friday had Sokka pulling out all the stops, he wore his best date outfit because this was what tonight was. It was a date. He was sure of it.

“This is a date, right?” Sokka asked as soon as they reached their activity destination which to his immense surprise was a cute little tea shop that was doing a poetry jam night.

Zuko blinked in confusion then said, “Yes. Was I not clear?”

“I just wanted to make sure.” Sokka smiled and grabbed Zuko’s hand. “Come on, let’s go in.”

Sokka ordered cake and tea and Zuko ordered the only coffee product the shop had to offer.

“You bring me to a tea shop, and you order coffee?”

“I don’t like tea,” Zuko shrugged.

“Then why bring me here for our date?”

“Because you said you liked tea and they have really good cakes here,” Zuko said like it was the most obvious answer.

Sokka was smitten. There was no other word for it. Smitten, just absolutely smitten. It was here that he decided to go through with his plan to make Zuko laugh uncontrollably and carefree he forgets the fact that he hates his laugh. He needed a shorter name for that plan.

The poetry jam proved to be a great source of material for Sokka because some of them were just so bad. Some were clearly not well-read enough or understand the artistry of poetry to even begin to perform their own works. And Sokka mocked and whispered jokes to Zuko’s ear all night to varying success.

The evening began and he had Zuko chuckling quietly. He whispered something back to Sokka which made him shooting tea out of his nose. That made Zuko laugh so much they got shushed by the nearby tables. As great as that was, it still wasn’t _the laugh_ so Sokka needs to keep trying.

Some poets in the poetry jam were pretty good. When Sokka snuck a glance at Zuko, he saw his eyes misting up.

“You okay?” He put his arm around Zuko’s shoulder.

“Yeah.” Zuko leaned in.

“Hey, you think that guy who was waxing poetic about cabbages was just talking about cabbages?”

Zuko snorted. “I hope not because he said some pretty graphic things.”

Sokka laughed so hard his stomach hurt.

They got kicked out of the poetry jam. Sokka still has yet to make Zuko laugh like the first time. Zuko did give him a goodnight kiss which was far too chaste in Sokka’s opinion but he’s not complaining.

* * *

_To Zuko:_

_Want to go to the beach?_

_From Zuko:_

_Sure._

* * *

They’ve been on multiple dates and still Sokka hasn’t gotten anything better than a loud snort. Today was the day he was going to make Zuko really laugh. Like for real.

All thoughts of making Zuko laugh evaporated when he saw him shirtless and wet. Going to the beach was Sokka’s best idea ever. He gets to see Zuko under the sun and having fun. What a sight.

He’s been making cute comments all day and he used some of his best material too and he has said so.

“You’re really not going to laugh like normal?” Sokka was pouting a bit because he knows Zuko has a soft spot for his puppy dog eyes.

Zuko held his face gently in his hands and looked deep into Sokka’s eyes.

“Sokka,” Zuko said.

“Yes?” Sokka was waiting very patiently to be kissed by his boyfriend.

“What makes you think I haven’t been suppressing it specifically to make you crazy?”

Sokka’s jaw slackened, eyes huge—he probably looked like a fool in front of his handsome prince. “YOU WHAT?!”

Zuko lost it and guffawed. Absolutely howled with laughter. He just burst out into his regular, carefree laugh. Loud and obnoxious and wonderfully carefree.

“Success!” Sokka cheered. “I did it! You’re a jerk but I still did it!”

“Shut up,” Zuko said through snorting giggle fits. “Shut up. Shut up.”

“I love your laugh,” Sokka said because he did. It was a simple truth. “I love making you laugh. I think I love you.”

The last part was a surprise even to him.

“What?” Zuko was staring at him.

“I love you,” he repeated.

“I love you too,” Zuko replied.

Finally, Zuko took pity on Sokka and kissed him softly savoring the simple touch of their lips, luxuriating in the feeling of each other.

“You’re a jerk,” Sokka whispered.

Zuko laughed. “I know.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading and i hope u enjoyed!
> 
> note: toph was supposed to be in this too but i cut so many scenes out because the fic was getting too out of hand already. 
> 
> im @[firelord-boomerang](https://firelord-boomerang.tumblr.com) on tumblr if u wanna say hi.


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